To Ride a Silver Broomstick: New Generation Witchcraft

324 Pages·2002·70.521 MB·English

by  Silver RavenWolf

Picking Up the Broonutick
The "Charge,, co,neJ to each <!f uJ in a J~f(erenl 111an11er. It i., that nzanzent irz
,~f
(}Ur li11eJ ,11he11 we.feel the Magick the Uni11er,,efor the 11eryfirJt tinu . ..
c;1urJi11g through and we k11ou heyond aLf real and inu1gi11eJ JhaJow.J
11,1 ••• 1
that thi., calli'ng 1<1 the 111yJterieJ tJ indeed there. That ,"ti., truly there, anJ
not a whin1.1u·al.fli.ght.fron1 reality.
- Silver Raven Wolf
This book has been written for the New Generation of Witches. It answers the
questions most asked by those individuals who have taken up Craft study in
the past ten years and who will become interested into the year 2000. Valuable
information is provided for the solitary beginner, whose ranks are growing, as
well as the coven initiate.
Representing the author's personal study, this book follows the Craft in its soli
tary form. It does not follow a specific tradition, nor are the teachings and
insights gathered from any particular book or specific individual. Therefore,
this text is ideal for anyone (male or female) who is interested in practicing
either the religious or scientific paths of the Craft, or both.
The choice of following the path of spiritual enlightenment through Witchcraft
is one that should be entirely your own. You, and no other person, are in con
trol of your destiny. To enter the Craft, even if you think that it is just to dabble,
is a decision not to be made lightly or immediately. Some of you will go on to
join small covens, others ,-vill join one of the Wiccan Churches that are spring
ing up across the nation. There are those who will continue to practice the
Craft alone, and of course, there will be a few individuals who will migrate to
other magickal religions.
Whatever your reason is for "picking up the broomstick," this book presents
several areas of eclectic study, gives you the leading edge on terminology and
allows you plenty of room to grow at your own pace.
About the Author
Silver Raven Wolf is the Director of the Wiccan/Pagan Press Alliance, a network of
Pagan newsletters, publishers, and writers. "It keeps me pretty busy," she explains,
"but I adore it. Writing and publishing are important to the Pagan community. The
editors supply the life line for growth, change, and acceptance of magickal people.
Positive religions like Wicca are the heartbeat, but the editors are the arteries of the
community." .
Currently Silver works for a local newspaper and is active in her home town. She
has been involved in various aspects of the Craft since she was seventeen years old. In
November of 1991 she received her First Degree from Bried Foxsong of Sacred Hart and
is on the rolls of the International Red Garters. She also carries Second and Third
Degree status from the Temple of Hecate Triskele of the Caledonii Tradition, and now
heads the Black Forest Clan in four states. Silver was eldered by Lord Serphant of the
Family of Serphant Stone on 29 June 1996 at the Puff Gathering in North Carolina. Her
hearthstone coven is known as Coven of the Wolf.
Born on 11 September 1956, Silver is a true Virgo; she adores making lists and
arranging things in order. She emphatically tells us that Virgos do not like house
cleaning or laundry. Definitely a lady of the nineties, she's hard to pin down. "I spend
a great deal of my time with my four children," she says. "They come first in my life.
Everyone else has to take a number and get in line after that."
To Write to the Author
If you wish to contact the author or would like more information about this book,
please write to the author in care of Llewellyn Worldwide and we will for,,vard your
request. Both the author and publisher enjoy hearing from you and learning of your
enjoyment of this book and how it has helped you. Lle,.,vellyn Worldwide cannot guar
antee that every letter written to the author will be answered, but all will be forwarded.
Please write to:
Silver Raven Wolf
%Llewellyn WorJd,.,vide
P.O. Box 64383, Dept. L791-X
St. Paul, MN 55164-0383, U.S.A.
Please enclose a self-addressed. stamped envelope for reply, or $1 .00 lo cover costs.
If outside U.S.A .. enclose international postal reply coupon.
To Ride a Silver
Broonutick
Ne Ge,zer·,zt Witci1cr·,~ft
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Silver RavenW olf
200 1
Llewclh·n Publications
St Paul. Minnesota 55164-0383. U.S.A.
To Ride a Silver Broomstick. Copyright© 1993 by Silver Raven Wolf. All rights
reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner what
soever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn
Publications except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles
and reviews.
FlRST EDlTION
Seventeenth Printing, 2001
Cover painting: Lisa Iris
Illustrations: Silver Raven Wolf
Book design and layout: Jessica Thoreson
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Raven \IVolf, Silver, 1956-
To ride a silver broomstick: new generation witchcraft/ Silver
Raven Wolf.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-87542-791-X
1. Witchcraft. 2. Paganism. 3. Magic. I. Title.
BF1572.R385 1993
133.4'3 - dc20 92-38151
CIP
Llewellyn Worldwide does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility
concerning private business transactions between our authors and the public.
All mail addressed lo the author is forwarded but the publisher cannot, unless specifically
instructed by the author, give out an address or phone number.
Llevvellyn Publications
A Division of Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd.
P.O. Box 64383, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
www.llewellyn.com
Printed in the United States of America
To thoJe ,vho da11ce to a 'differe,zt dr111n11u1;
Arzd dare to ,nake their dre,1111<,1 come trtte ...
I iLL czL,vayJ Love yott, Dad I
u
1
To ,ny h,,c1ba1zd, Er11i11 Trayer,
I co,,IJ,z 't have do,ze it witho,,t yo,tl
Other Boolu by Silver Raven Wolf
Beneath a Mountain Moon (fiction)
To Stir a Magick Cauldron
Witches Runes (formerly The Rune Oracle) (with Nigel Jackson)
Angels: Companions in Magick
Teen Witch
American Folk Magick: Charms, Spells Er Herbals
To Light a Sacred Flame: Practical Witchcraft for the New Generation
Silver's Spells for Prosperity
Halloween: Customs, Recipes, Er Spells
Silver's Spells for Protection
Witches' Night Out
Teen Witch Kit
Silver's Spells for Love
Murder at Witches' Bluff
Forthcoming
Witches' Night of Fear (fiction)
Witches' Key to Terror (fiction)
Tahle of Conte11t.1
Preface: The Charge 1x
Introduction xv
Section One: Background Shadows
1 Picking Up The Broomstick 3
2 Getting Acquainted 11
3 Magickal Jargon 17
4 Religion vs. Science 27
5 Your Special Days of Celebration 31
6 Defining The All: Gods, Goddesses and Hun1an Balance 43
Section Two: Building Shadows
7 What's in a Name? 57
8 Meditiation, Visualization and Dreaming 61
9 Your Sacred Space 75
10 Stocking Your Magickal Cabinet 85
11 Cleansing, Consecrating and Charging 97
12 The Fine Art of Magickal Record Keeping 111
Section Three: Performing Shadows
13 Designing and Performing Rituals 119
14 Webweaving 133
15 Divination vs. Fortune Telling 147
16 Spell Casting, Working Rituals and Dravving Down the Moon 173
17 Color, Candle and Sympathetic Magick 189
18 Gems, Herbs and Healing 205
Section Four: Challenging Shadows
19 Telepathy, Psychornetry and l'vlind Po,,ver 22 7
20 Astral Projection, Bi-location and Power Animals 245
21 The Summerland: Death and Reincarnation 257
22 There's No Such Thing as a White \Nitch 269
23 Corning Out of the Closet 277
Appendix 1: A Sn1attering of History 283
Appendix 2: Guide to Pagan Newsletters and Services 287
Appendix 3: The Wiccan/Pagan Press Alliance 293
Index 295